Discuss the main characteristics of Column in Newspaper and Magazine.

A column is a recurring piece or article in a newspaper, magazine or other publication, where a writer expresses his/her own opinion in few columns allotted to him by the newspaper organization. Columns are written by columnists. What differentiates a column from other forms of journalism is that is a regular feature in a publication written by the same writer or reporter and usually on the same subject area or theme each time that it typically, but not universally, contains the author’s opinion or point of view.

An advice column is a column traditionally presented in a magazine or newspaper, though it can also be delivered through other news media, such as the Internet and broadcast news media. The advice column format is question and-answer: a (usually anonymous) reader writes to the media outlet with a problem in the form of a question, and the media outlet provides an answer or response.

The responses are written by an advice columnist (colloquially known in British English as an agony aunt, or agony uncle if the columnist is male). The image presented was originally of an older woman dispensing comforting
advice and maternal wisdom, hence the name “aunt”. An advice columnist can also be someone who gives advice to people who send in problems to the newspaper.

A gossip columnist is someone who writes a gossip column in a newspaper or Magazine, especially a gossip magazine. Gossip, columns are material written in a light, informal style, which relates the gossip columnist’s opinions about the personal lives or conduct of celebrities from show business (motion picture movie stars, theater, and television actors), politicians, professional sports stars, and other wealthy people or public figures. Some gossip columnists broadcast segments on radio and television.